Adjustable jaw wrench



June 11, 1963 E. BOHNET 3,

ADJUSTABLE JAW WRENCH Filed Dec. 11, 1961 V INVENTOR EMIL. BOHNE'T ATTORNEYS 3,093,019 Patented June 11, 1963 United States Patent ,Ofiice e 3,093,019 7 ADJUSTABLE JAW WRENCH Emil Bohnet 204 Ontario St., Buffalo 7, N .Y. Filed Dec. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 158,241 4 Claims. (Cl. 81166) This invention relates generally to the class of tools and is directed particularly to improvements in wrenches of the adjustable jaw type.

In the use of wrenches of the type where there is a fixed jaw "and an adjustable jaw and wherein a means, usually screw threaded, is provided for moving the adjustable jaw relative to the fixed jaw to adapt it to a nut or bolt head, engagement of such means with the hand in using the wrench, or with some other object when laying the wrench down or picking it up, may cause the threaded adjusting means to be moved and thus change the location of the movable jaw.

It is a particular object of the present invention, in view .of the foregoing, to provide a novel means whereby the movable jaw of a wrench of the type referred to, can be firmly locked in position after the jawhas been adjusted to the desired span, and thereby prevented from moving out of adjustment by reason of repeated handling of the wrench or engagement of the adjusting screw against adjacent objects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel locking means for the adjustable jaw of a wrench of the character stated, which means isoperatively coupled with "the body of the wrench in such a way that it can be easily and quickly moved into and out of locking position with respect to the movable jaw, and at the same time cannot become detached from the Wrench and thereby become lost.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel locking means for the adjustable jaw of a wrench of the character stated, wherein such locking means is designed to form a bridging coupling between the back of the movable jaw and the shank of the wrench to which the fixed jaw is connected.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel locking device which can be applied to a conventional type of adjustable jaw wrench.

The invention broadly is embodied in a U-shaped locking nut having one side member of the U formed with two transversely toothed faces or surfaces offset one from the other. These toothed surfaces are designed for one to engage correspondingly formed teeth extendingacross the back surface of the movable jaw of the wrench while the teeth of the other surface are designed to engage corresponding teeth formed transversely of "the back of the shank ofthe wrench on which the movable jaw is supported for adjustment.

' A threaded stud carried' by the back of the movable jaw extends through the two sides of the U-shaped nut and passes through and is threadably connected with a knurled nut located between the side members of the j U-shaped nut. U-shaped nut may be'shifted to bring the teeth thereof By manipulating the knurled nut, the

ing'on the stud when the teeth of the nut are separated from the teeth of the wrench jaw and shank.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a wrench showing my new invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the head end of the same.

FIG. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of FIG. 1. I

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 generally designates a movable jaw wrench of a well known type of construction which, in combination with the novel structure of the present invention, generally designated 12, forms the new and improved wrench structure;

vThe wrench body 12 comprises an elongate handle 14 from an end of which extends-the shank 16 which is of rectangular or square cross-sectional form. The shank, is attached at one end to the end of the handle 14 and extends longitudinally of and from the handle and carries on its other end the fixed jaw 18, the working face of which is designated 20'.

As stated, the shank is of either square or rectangular cross-section, having the upperor back surface 22, the oposite side surfaces 24 and the under or bottom surface 26.

Mounted for sliding movement on the shank 16 is the movable jaw 28. This jaw has an opening formed therethrough as at 30 to receive the shank 16. This opening is of the same contour as the shank so that the ,jaW must maintain its position on the shank at all times whereby the working face 32 of the jaw 28 is maintained in opposed relation with the working face 20 of the fixed Encircling the shank 16 and located between the movable jaw 28 and the handle 14 is a-guide yoke 34. This yoke is in spaced relation with the jaw 28 but is connected thereto by the arm 36.

The yoke 34 is threadably connected with the forward end of a feed screw 38, the back end of which screw carries the knurled head 40 which is rotatably connected with the forward end of the handle and is peripherally engaged in a recess 42 in the underside or front side of the shank 16 to hold it against axial movement. This rotatable mounting of the feed screw 38 and head 40 with respect to the handle 14 and the shank 16 is of a standard and well-known design and accordingly, no illustration of the same is given or believed to be necessary to an'understan'ding of the operation of the wrench.

The unit 12 comprises a threaded stud 44 which is secured at one end to the back 46 of the movable jaw 28 to extend therefrom perpendicular to the back face or side 22 of the shank 16.

In the construction here illustrated, there is provided a plate 48 which is attached by welding or the like to the back 46 0f the jaw 28 and by means of which the end of the stud 44 is connected with the back 46 of the movable jaw. This plate 48 is shown as having a number of teeth 59 formed across the outer or top surface thereof.

While this is a prefer-red arrangement or construction wherein the plate carries the teeth and the stud 44 is attached to theplate and by this means attached to the movable jaw, it will also be readily apparent that the stud may be welded or otherwise secured directly to the jaw 28 and a number of teeth corresponding to the teeth 50' may be formed across the back of the jaw.

The back face 22 of the shank 16 is likewise provided with a plurality of teeth 52 which extend transversely of the shank and which are parallel with the teeth 50 carried by the back of the movable jaw 28.

The numeral 54 generally designates a locking nut which is roughly of U formation or is U-shaped, comprising the relatively broad spaced parallel legs 56 and 58 connected by the intermediate portion 60.

As shown, the leg 58 has a back end portion 62 which is materially thicker than the forward end portion 64 so that the outer side of this leg has two surfaces, one of which is ofiset with respect to the other, and which surfaces are provided with the transversely extending teeth 66 and 68.

The legs 56 and 58 have formed therethrough the aligned openings 70 and 72, the opening 72 passing through the thinner forward end portion 64 of the leg 58. These aligned openings 70 and 72 are of -a diameter to receive the stud 44 and when the locking nut is mounted upon the stud 44, in the proper manner, the teeth 68 of the thinner portion 64 of the leg 58 will be disposed for engagement with the teeth 50 carried by the back of the movable jaw 28 and the thicker portion 62 of the leg 58 will extend behind the adjustable jaw 28 toward the shank 16 so that the teeth '66 thereof may engage between the teeth 52 of the shank simultaneously with the engagement of the teeth 68 with the teeth 50.

A setting or adjustment nut of circular form, designated 74, is of a thickness to be positioned between the opposing surfaces of the two legs 56 and 58 and is adapted to be threaded on the stud 44. Accordingly, it will be seen that the setting or adjusting nut 74 will be retained between the legs of the locking nut and when the nut 74 isrotated on the fixed stud 44, the locking nut will be moved relative to the wrench shank 16 and the movable jaw 28.

The locking nut 54 is prevented from rotating about the stud 44 and thus getting the teeth 66 and 68 out of alignment with the teeth 50 and 52, respectively, by a sliding interlocking connection between the stud and the forward end portion 64 of the leg 58. This sliding connection comprises a gmide pin 75 which has an outer threaded end portion 76 and an inner smooth or run threaded portion 78, which cooperates with a slot 80 formed in and longitudinally of the stud bolt or pin 44,

as best seen in FIG. 3.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the portion 64 of the leg 58 is provided with a threaded bore 80 which receives the threadedrouter end 76 of the pin 75, whereby the inner end portion 78 of the guide pin is extended into the guide slot 80 as shown. V Since the guide slot 80 extends into the stud bolt 44 in a direction perpendicular to the teeth of the lock nut and those carried by the movable jaw and by the shank, the pin 75 also is perpendicular to the teeth, and accordingly, while the lock nut is free to move back and forth or inwardly and outwardly relative to. the shank of the wrench and the movable jaw, it will be prevented from turning about the stud bolt 44.

The teeth formed across the shank 16 of the wrench and across the top or back of the movable jaw, and also the teeth carried by the lock'bolt, have been illustrated as being substantially square or slightly tapered, whereby the interengagement between the teeth of the lock bolt and the teeth carried by the wrench shank and movable jaw may be easily effected when the lock bolt is moved angular.

It will be seen from the foregoing that with the present invention, after the jaw 28 has been set to have the proper spacing between the face 32 and the face 20 of the fixed jaw, by rotating the adjusting screw 38, the locking nut 54, which, of course, would be disengaged from the teeth of the shank 16 and the movable jaw 28, while this adjustment is being made, would then be moved inwardly so as to bring the teeth of the locking nut into engagement with the teeth of the movable jaw 28 and the shank '16. Thus, the movable jaw would be firmly locked in position relative to the shank 16 so that any contact of the adjusting nut 40 with the hand or other object would not cause movement of the movable jaw 28, and accordingly, the setting of the wrench jaws will be maintained.

It will also be apparent from the foregoing that the wrench and locking means may be constructed as a unit at the time of manufacture of the Wrench or the locking means may be readily adapted to a wrench of the type described by providing the shank 16 with'the necessary teeth and by securing the part 48 to the back or top trative and not restrictive, since the scope of the inven-' tion is defined in the appended claims, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable jaw wrench, a body comprising in one rigid unit, a handle, a shank having a front side and a back side and a fixed jaw carried by and projecting from the front side of the shank, a movable jaw on the shank and having a back side portion lying across the back side of the shank, means threadably coupling the movable jaw with the shank for effecting sliding adjustment of the movable jaw on the shank relative to the fixed jaw, and other means for locking the movable jaw against movement after its adjustment and comprising a threaded stud fixed at one end immovably to and projecting from the said back side portion of the movable jaw, a locking nut freely slidably movable on the threaded stud over and independently of the stud threads andan adjusting nut on and in threaded engagement with the threaded stud and operatively engaging the locking nut to impart sliding movement to the locking nut on the stud relative to the said movable jaw portion when the. adjusting nut is rotated on the threaded stud, and means effecting a locking coupling between the locking nut and the shank when the adjusting nut is turned in one direction on the threaded stud.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the last stated means comprises interengaging elements carried by the shank and the locking nut.

3. As a new combination, a wrench structure having a handle, a shank extending therefrom, a fixed jaw on the shank, a movable jaw slidable on the shank relative to the fixed jaw, the shank having a back side and the movablejaw having a back side, a threaded coupling between the movable jaw and the shank by which to adjust the ,movable jaw on the shank relative to the fixed jaw, said shank having a plurality of teeth formed transversely of the back side thereof, tooth forming means extending transversely of and carried upon the back side of the movable jaw, a threaded stud carried by the movable jaw and extending from and perpendicular to the back side thereof, a substantially U-shaped locking nut having two substantially parallel leg members and said 'leg members having openings therethrough in alignment with one another and said threaded stud extending through the said openings, an adjusting nut disposed between the said legs of the locking nut and threadably engaged on said threaded stud whereby rotation of the adjusting nut will efiect movement of the locking nut toward and away from the back side of the shank and of the movable jaw, and tooth means carried by the leg of the locking nut nearest to the movable jaw for engagement with the tooth means of the shank and the tooth means on the back side of the movable jaw when the locking nut is moved by the adjusting nut toward the shank and the movable jaw.

4. The invention according to claim 3, with interconnecting means between the looking nut and the threaded stud for maintaining the locking nut against rotation around the threaded stud when the tooth means of the locking nut are disengaged from the tooth means of the shank and the movable jaw.

References Cite-d in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 636,673 Klatt Nov. 7, 1899 656,793 Sheldon Aug. 28, 1900 733,617 Boulanger July 14, 1903 791,263 Hammond et al. May 30, 1905 1,204,515 Smith Nov. 14, 1916 1,391,581 Roberts Sept. 20, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS 153,470 Great Britain Nov. 11, 1920 

1. IN AN ADJUSTABLE JAW WRENCH, A BODY COMPRISING IN ONE RIGID UNIT, A HANDLE, A SHANK HAVING A FRONT SIDE AND A BACK SIDE AND A FIXED JAW CARRIED BY AND PROJECTING FROM THE FRONT SIDE OF THE SHANK, A MOVABLE JAW ON THE SHANK AND HAVING A BACK SIDE PORTION LYING ACROSS THE BACK SIDE OF THE SHANK, MEANS THREADABLY COUPLING THE MOVABLE JAW WITH THE SHANK FOR EFFECTING SLIDING ADJUSTMENT OF THE MOVABLE JAW ON THE SHANK RELATIVE TO THE FIXED JAW, AND OTHER MEANS FOR LOCKING THE MOVABLE JAW AGAINST MOVEMENT AFTER ITS ADJUSTMENT AND COMPRISING A THREADED STUD FIXED AT ONE END IMMOVABLY TO AND PROJECTING FROM THE SAID BACK SIDE PORTION OF THE MOVABLE JAW, A LOCKING NUT FREELY SLIDABLY MOVABLE ON THE THREADED STUD OVER AND INDEPENDENTLY OF THE STUD THREADS AND AN ADJUSTING NUT ON AND IN THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE THREADED STUD AND OPERATIVELY ENGAGING THE LOCKING NUT TO IMPART SLIDING MOVEMENT TO THE LOCKING NUT ON THE STUD RELATIVE TO THE SAID MOVABLE JAW PORTION WHEN THE ADJUSTING NUT IS ROTATED ON THE THREADED STUD, AND MEANS EFFECTING A LOCKING COUPLING BETWEEN THE LOCKING NUT AND THE SHANK WHEN THE ADJUSTING NUT IS TURNED IN ONE DIRECTION ON THE THREADED STUD. 